UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT Memorandum DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE - PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE 403480 TO : Dr. Melvin W. Carter DATE: July 22, 1969 Director FROM Refer to: RMC:EvdsS : Chief, Radiation Medicine Southwestern Radiological Health Laboratory SUBJECT : "Evidence for Low-Level Radiation Effects on the Human Embryo and Fetus," a paper by Dr. E. J. Sternglass (Dept. of Radiology, U. of Pittsburgh) July 10, 1969, the LAS VEGAS SUN printed an article by Joyce Egginton entitled "Life Ends a Generation After Bomb, Doctor Says'' datelined New York. Other newspapers have carried similar articles. This paper by Dr. Sternglass has been presented, at least its basic aspects, several times by Dr. Sternglass over the past year. The basic thesis for the newspaper headlines is: (a) present fallout has caused a marked increase in fetal, and neonatal mortality, and a decrease in birth weights; therefore, (b) the fallout from a nuclear war would be — many orders of magnitude greater, consequently the fetal and neonatal mortality would increase proportionately and effectively eliminate the next generation. The material referred to in this article was, in part, presented by Dr. Sternglass at the Ninth Annual Hanford Biology Symposium, May 5-8, 1969. (1) This paper engendered considerable heated discussion and rebuttal. Dr. Sternglass first started his work on this theory by a study of the TroyAlbany area following a "rainout"” of fallout material in 1953. He was primarily interested in leukemia at that time and reported a ''dramatic" increase in leukemia following the fallout (several years later) as compared with prefallout cases.. Much of the discussion at the Ninth Annual Hanford Biology Symposium refuted the conclusions of Dr. Sternglass, and Dr. Sternglass did not make toserious an attempt at rebuttal of this refutation. The other data (discussed below) could not be refuted at the time and, I believe, should receive a high priority for investigation. Dr. Sternglass did a statistical study of health department reports of fetal, neonatal and postnatal mortality rates for each state of the United States and several foreign countries. Analysis was made of mortality rates during the period immediately prior to the TRINITY shot (1945), the period between the TRINITY shot and subsequent atmospheric testing, and the mortality rates during and after the period of atmospheric testing. Pre-1945 rates were considered the base line. / HELP ELIMINATE WASTE COST REDUCTION PROGRAM